Rochester’s Planning Board Tuesday came a step closer to approving the Special Permit and Site Plan Review application for the commercial building at 621 County Road that will include the recreational marijuana retail store Megan’s Organic Market, but not to the satisfaction of the petitioner’s attorney.

            The Planning Board reviewed the draft decision with conditions and added a new one, that the sign clearly state it is a cannabis store. Board member Paul Carr repeated his request in a previous meeting that this condition be included to avoid a customer wrongly thinking the store is merely an organic-produce market.

            The petitioner’s attorney said his client had no problem with this condition but then frowned as he asked why the Planning Board could not take an approval vote at Tuesday’s meeting.

            Board Chairman Arnold Johnson answered that the panel likes to take time to review a draft decision on a Special Permit and approve it at a subsequent meeting. The board will consider approving the Special Permit for Megan’s Organic Market at its next meeting on September 26.

            As discussion ended, the board asked the project’s engineering consultant, Phil Cordeiro of Allen and Major Associates, to supply a rendering of what the requested “cannabis” sign would look like at that next meeting. Cordeiro agreed to do so.

            When approved, the retail recreational marijuana store will be housed in a 7,500-square-foot commercial building between two residential lots with a 24-foot-wide driveway entrance.

            Traffic flow will send deliveries to the western rear of the building and be spacious enough for emergency vehicle access as well. Water will come from a tie-in to the Town of Wareham supply. Vegetative setbacks of 20 feet will be built between the residences, as well as a 6-foot-high fence on one side. Lighting will have “zero spillage” onto other properties and will be controlled by motion sensors.

            Next, the Planning Board approved another continuance, until October 10, for the Site Plan Review application for a tree and perennials nursery on 2.5 acres at 157 Vaughan Hill Road, filed by Jennifer and Chuck Anderson of Tree Talk Natives, LLC.

            Johnson noted the tree farm is up and running, but the owners are only advertising to go to customers for a “consult” on their tree needs, which is perfectly legal. He added the board may need to deny the operation a permit if the petitioners have made no progress with submitting specific plans by October 10.

            The petitioners have had the application for the site for almost a year and are only being asked for plans for the site’s parking area. “It’s a safety issue,” Johnson said. “The parking lot needs to be protected from sinking.”

            In other action, the Planning Board signed the Certificate of Compliance for the solar project at 0 Walnut Plain Road and Old Middleboro Road and reviewed proposed zoning bylaw changes.

            Johnson said the changes will only need to be ready for the Spring 2024 Annual Town Meeting. Proposals discussed by the board and Building Commissioner Paul Boucher Tuesday night included tweaking the language for back-lot residential additions, site-plan review and accessory apartments. A proposed back-lot residential-housing use shall be on property owned by the petitioner for at least five years prior to the application.

            An approved site plan is valid only if signed by Planning Board members. Accessory apartment zoning will have a new set of specific standards.

            The Rochester Planning Board’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 26, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

            After numerous meetings which have taken place over several years, the Mattapoisett Select Board was caught off guard as they met with VHB, the town’s village street planner. Coming before the board were Shawn Giatas and Jamie Pisano to discuss the massive roadway improvement project for the village streets Main Street, Water Street and Marion Road.

            Just a few minutes into the meeting, the board and those in attendance learned that instead of 11 trees slated for removal, the number had jumped to 36. One could have heard a pin drop.

            Pisano explained that after meeting with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the federal agency scheduled to help fund the project, preliminary designs were deemed unacceptable. There were more trees that would have to be removed in order to provide adequate utility easements and mandatory sidewalks. He told the board that VHB was looking for guidance on how to move forward, given this difficult news.

            Select Board member Jordan Collyer didn’t bite his tongue, saying, “How did we get this far and not know this sooner?” The original design concept showed the removal of 11 trees.

            Longtime Tree Committee and Select Board member Jodi Bauer quietly said, “That’s too many trees.”

            Select Board member Tyler Macallister said it would be difficult to ask residents to accept the loss of so many trees. “People will be on my front lawn,” he said.

            Tree Committee member Michael Immel asked to be put on the board’s agenda to discuss the matter further. He also noted concern that trees not slated for removal will be negatively impacted by construction that would undermine deep-root systems.

            VHB was asked to go back to the conceptual-design drawing board and bring something back that the town could work with in terms of tree removal.

            Also meeting with the board was Andrew Nelson of Childs Engineering Corporation, the Bellingham-based firm that is working on Long Wharf’s rehabilitation project. He reviewed the soil report which confirmed initial belief that the wharf was built well and with materials that can be reused or left in place moving forward. “We can adjust to it,” Nelson commented regarding the materials.

            There was discussion around whether manufactured stone is viable or if granite, a more expensive material, should be used and if concrete is reasonable for infilling the wharf.

            Marine Advisory Board Chairman Carlos DeSousa gave the Childs report high marks and said that in terms of material, granite is widely used throughout the area, including Bristol, Rhode Island and Maine.

            The board members did not agree on how to advise Childs on which materials to estimate the job with concrete or all granite. Macallister and Collyer both believe granite would stand the test of time, while Bauer opted for a hybrid solution using some concrete and some granite. Preliminary estimates range from $8,000,000 to $12,000,000, depending on materials.

            In the end, Childs was asked to produce several conceptual designs that could be used in public engagement meetings.

            Earlier in the meeting, Meghan St. John and David Nicolosi received approval for an all-alcohol license for What the Taco.

            Also, the board appointed Matthew Desrosiers as a part-time civilian EMT.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco shared that the Holy Ghost grounds-reuse survey deadline is September 17. He said some 500 surveys have been submitted thus far.

            Lorenco announced that the Town Meeting warrant will open on September 26 and close on October 10. Town Meeting is scheduled for November 6 at Old Rochester Regional High School auditorium at 6:30 pm.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board was not announced upon adjournment.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

            The Old Rochester Regional School District is engaging a grant program that would magnetize Junior High School students’ cell phones via a special pouch as a means of upgraded security and creating the potential of limited usage during school hours at select locations in the building.

            In its first public meeting of the new academic year on September 7, the ORR School Committee reviewed and voted to accept a $13,020 grant that will try out the technology on a pilot basis for the 2023-24 academic year.

            According to current policy, ORR Junior High District students are not allowed to use their phones during school hours. ORR High School students have their own policy and are not part of this pilot program.

            “It’s not opt-in, opt-out,” clarified Junior High Principal Silas Coehlner, who added there would be limited exceptions. “They’re not supposed to be checking their phones at all. They power them down and put them in their locker.”

            Citing the distraction of 88 cell-phone infractions during the 2022-23 school year, Coehlner pitched the technology to the committee after reading up on eight schools in Massachusetts that have received the grant and also schools in New York. He cited data from 900 subscribing schools, 65% of which reported improvement in academic performance, 74% in student behavior and 83% in student engagement in the classroom.

            With the program, students receive a Yondr-brand pouch for their phone that locks via a magnetic device. The devices cost $20 each. The school building will have magnetic stations where, with potential policy changes, phones could be used for limited periods of time. An implementation schedule will be developed.

            Joe Pires’ was the lone dissenting vote against accepting the grant. During discussion, Pires suggested that students should not have to wait until the end of the day to access their phones. Matthew Monteiro asked about emergency scenarios and if the pouch could be cut open. Coehlner suspects it could, being made of a Velcro-based material.

            Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson clarified that the administration will work with school committees on all matters relating to implementation and potential amendments to policy.

            The Town of Acushnet recently reached out to ORR about the possibility of having its high school students pay tuition to attend ORRHS. Other than vocational and private high schools, Acushnet students currently choose between attending Fairhaven or New Bedford high schools. The committee voted to authorize Nelson to meet with Acushnet administrators to discuss a partnership and report back to the committee for feedback.

            Citing the end of school on June 10 and several meetings scheduled during the final week, the committee voted unanimously to revise its meeting schedule and push back the June 6, 2024, meeting to June 12.

            In her Chairperson’s Report, Michelle Smith welcomed back the committee and thanked administration and staff for their work in preparing the facilities, as seen during a committee tour.

            In his Principal’s Report, Mike Devoll publicly acknowledged the initiative of ORR’s Class of 1988 in its creation of a nonprofit Alumni Association that will participate in and support ORR events this year.

            In his Central Office Report, Nelson took the committee through a sample tour of the district’s upgraded website and noted that ORR schools began the 2023-24 school year fully staffed.

            ORR Administration recognized some milestone achievements at the high school, as Registrar Kelly Bertrand reached 25 years of service and World Language Teacher Diane Palombo-Gomes reached 20 years.

            Jean Arruda (lead cook), Michael Bauer (lead Maintenance), Ellen Camacho (Payroll/Accounting), Michael Devoll (principal), Yvette Randall (cook), Seth Bushnell (Social Studies teacher), administrative assistants Aimee Fox and Jennifer Irwin, Michael Linane (Technology Education teacher) and Lindsay Tallman (Social Studies) all reached 15 years of service.

            Matthew Houde (Technology Support specialist), Shiloah Major (Maintenance) and administrative assistants Kimberly Read and Cris Salvador each reached 10 years of service.

            At ORRJH, Special Education Teacher Paula Cavanaugh and Music Teacher Mary Angela Vaughn reached 25 years. Social Studies Teacher Daniel McEvoy and Instructional Assistant Andrea Shaw both reached 20 years of service and English Teacher Nathan Orie hit the 10-year plateau.

            New staff for the 2023-24 academic year was recognized: Kristine Lincoln, interim director of Student Services; Teah Keogh, English Language Learning specialist; Christopher Carrig, athletic director/campus aide; Hannah Long, World Language teacher (Latin); Emma Fenton, Special Education Transition teacher; Carolyn Ross, ISP teacher; Latin Teacher Hannah Long and six instructional assistants, Caitlin Lavoie, Aaron Strothers, Brittany DeMedeiros, Laurie Cunningham, Liam MacCurtain and Caroline Murphy.

            The following staff retirements and resignations were also recognized: Craig Davidson, director of Student Services; Kathy Dranchak, ELL specialist; Rebecca Okolita, Special Education Transition teacher; Crystal Gendreau, Special Education teacher (Grade 8); Kevin McCarthy, and instructional assistants Paul Guilbeault, Jonathan Nogueira, Kate Souza, Darren Gray, Shane DeSousa, Collin Melo and Carol Regan.

            Michael Bean transitioned from Special Education teacher (ISP) to (Grade 8), and Bill Tilden’s transition from his longtime position as athletic director/campus aide to groundskeeper will allow him to replace Cindy Tilden as the main coach of ORR’s cross-country and track teams.

            In other business, the committee heard introductory Finance and Food Service reports from Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber.

            The committee also voted to accept a $500 donation from the Emma Whittaker Fund. According to Devoll, the donation will support the social workers’ efforts.

            The School Committee voted 7-2 to elect the following representatives to the Equity Subcommittee for the 2023-24 school year: Frances-Feliz Kearns (Mattapoisett), Margaret McSweeny (Marion) and Matthew Monteiro (Rochester.)

            The school year’s first meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 28, and the next meeting of the ORR School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, October 12. Both meetings will be held at 6:30 pm at the Junior High Media Room and accessible via Zoom.

ORR School Committee

By Mick Colageo